Nice issues have been anticipated of Tatiana Suarez since early in
her
Final Combating Championship profession.
She’ll get an opportunity to ship on that promise when she meets Weili
Zhang in a strawweight title bout at UFC 312
in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 8. The scenario is a bit uncommon
since Suarez hasn’t competed since submitting Jessica Andrade at
UFC on ESPN 50 in August 2023. Nonetheless, the 34-year-old Californian
isn’t altering her mindset heading into the largest battle of her
profession so far.
“I don’t really feel any totally different,” Suarez lately stated on UFC
Unfiltered. “I simply really feel prefer it’s one other battle. It’s one other
problem for me. I’m actually excited as a result of I’ve by no means had a
five-round battle. But when anyone can do it, it’s me.”
Suarez is not any stranger to prolonged layoffs. Accidents sidelined her
for greater than three years after a victory over Nina Nunes at UFC
238 in June 2019, however she returned to the Octagon in 2023 to submit
back-to-back victories over Montana De La Rosa and Andrade. The
Milennia MMA consultant doesn’t anticipate to be hindered by her
most up-to-date time on the sideline, partly as a result of she’s
constantly working within the gymnasium.
“I don’t take into consideration that stuff,” Suarez stated. “I simply take into consideration
the best way I really feel after I practice. So long as I see every thing, identical to
I do in sparring, my vary is correct, my grappling is on level, my
timing is nice. Each time I’m out of preventing, like I’m not within the
cage, it’s not like I’m sitting on the sofa doing nothing. I’m
at all times doing one thing, at all times understanding.”
Suarez was alleged to face Amanda Lemos and Virna Jandiroba this
12 months, however she in the end withdrew from each fights as a consequence of accidents.
Nonetheless, she additionally claims she was able to face Zhang in between
these fights, which had been scheduled for February and December,
respectively.
“Whenever you’re on the high of the division, for some purpose it’s
actually onerous to get fights. There’s not that many matchups,” Suarez
stated. “After I was wholesome, everyone was already matched up within the
Prime 10…. I had requested for a battle. I wished to battle Weili in
August…or September. However she was busy with obligations she had as a
champion.”
No matter how she received so far, Suarez expects to carry out
at a excessive degree in opposition to the reigning strawweight queen at UFC
312.
“My psychological energy is second to none. I feel that performs an enormous
consider preventing basically,” Suarez stated. “When the intense
lights shine, so do I. I at all times rise to the event.”
